Pamela+Colson


 * SUMMARY: Pamela Colson, age 31, bled to death on June 26, 1994 after being sent home from an abortion performed by Dr. William Keene at Women's Medical Services in Pensacola, FL.**

Pamela Jean Colson, age 31, was 12 weeks pregnant when friends drive her to Women's Medical Services in Pensacola, Florida, for a safe and legal abortion June 26, 1994. The abortion was performed by Dr. William Philip Keene.

Pamela bled heavily during the drive home. According to her friends, Pamela became unresponsive, so they stopped at a motel. Two passers-by did CPR while Pamela's friends called for an ambulance. Pamela was taken to a hospital where she died after an emergency hysterectomy.

Her autopsy showed: bloodstained fluid in chest and peritoneal space, and "extensive hematoma formation in the pelvic area with the peritoneum denuded from the left gutter area caudually." The surgeon who performed an emergency hysterectomy, trying to save Pamela's life, had removed her uterus at the site of the laceration "so that the laceration was a portion of the incision made to remove the uterus." Her uterus showed extensive hemorrhage and blood clots. Her uterine artery was also injured. Several of Pamela's ribs were fractured, apparently during attempts to resuscitate her; this is common in even properly performed CPR.

The cause of death was given as "irreversible shock from blood loss due to a perforated uterus occurring at the time of an elective abortion." William Keene was tentatively identified as having performed the abortion.

Pamela's fatal abortion was performed at the clinic where abortionist David Gun was shot dead.

After the investigation into Pamela's death, Keene was fired from Sarasota Women's Health Center. The director of Women's Medical Service, on the other hand, pooh-poohed the idea of dismissing Keene. "Of course he's allowed to perform abortions. That's a ridiculous question. Complications occur all the time," clinic director Sandy Sheldon told the //Tuscaloosa News//.

Sources:
 * Panama City News Herald 6-19-94, 6-29-94
 * Autopsy MLA94-266
 * St. Petersburg Times 6-30-94
 * USA Today 6-30-94
 * Pensacola News-Journal 6-29-94
 * "Woman dies after getting abortion," //Lakeland Ledger//, Jun. 29, 1994
 * "Abortion doctor fired after woman's death," //Tuscaloosa News//, Jul. 2, 1994